Canto 12: The Age of Deterioration | Chapter 4: The Four Categories of Universal Annihilation |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.4.37
anādy-antavatānena
kāleneśvara-mūrtinā
avasthā naiva dṛśyante
viyati jyotiṣāḿ iva
SYNONYMS
anādi-anta-vatā — without beginning or end; anena — by this; kālena — time; īśvara — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mūrtinā — the representation; avasthāḥ — the different stages; na — not; eva — indeed; dṛśyante — are seen; viyati — in outer space; jyotiṣām — of the moving planets; iva — just as.
TRANSLATION
These stages of existence created by beginningless and endless time, the impersonal representative of the Supreme Lord, are not visible, just as the infinitesimal momentary changes of position of the planets in the sky cannot be directly seen.
PURPORT
Although everyone knows that the sun is constantly moving in the sky, one cannot normally see the sun moving. Similarly, no one can directly perceive his hair or nails growing, although with the passing of time we perceive the fact of growth. Time, the potency of the Lord, is very subtle and powerful and is an insurmountable barrier to fools who are trying to exploit the material creation.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari